In the End
by Kari-Ryu no hime
Summary: Sasuke says something to Naruto, and Naruto's reaction causes him to think. songfic to "In the End" by Linkin Park. one-shot shonen ai.


Disclaimer: no, I don't own Naruto. nor do I own the song "In the End". Linkin Park does. I do, however, own this story, and a computer. and many other things I'm sure you don't want to hear about.

_**It starts with   
One thing **_

_**I don't know why**_

Sasuke walked along the ridge, face stony.

**_It doesn't even matter how hard you try_ **

remembering the events of the day hurt.

**_Keep that in mind_**

_**I designed this rhyme   
To explain in due time   
All I know**_

He felt as if he had been slapped in the face, by the one he had always thought would understand him.

_**   
Time is a valuable thing   
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings**_

He'd almost lost track of time since Itachi'd murdered their clan. he gritted his teeth.

_**   
Watch it count down to the end of the day   
The clock ticks life away   
It's so unreal **_

everything seemed so surreal now that Naruto had pointed out his own weakness, not even meaning to.

_**   
Didn't look out below   
Watch the time go right out the window   
Trying to hold on**_

_**But I didn't even know**_

He hadn't known. hadn't known what the blonde meant to him.

_**   
Wasted it all just to   
Watch you go**_

After the incident, he'd just watched Naruto leave, brain screaming at the rest of him to chase after the other boy, but his feet glued to the ground.

_**   
I kept everything inside and even though I tried**_

_**It all fell apart   
What it meant to me**_

_**Will eventually be **_

**_a memory Of a time_**

Now all that Sasuke had left were his memories of the time when his only goal had been to kill Itachi. life had been so much simpler then...

**_I tried so hard   
And got so far   
But in the end   
It doesn't even matter _**

nothing mattered. he was alone again, and it felt worse than ever before.

_**   
I had to fall   
To lose it all   
But in the end   
It doesn't even matter **_

he sat down on the edge of the cliff, face blank, thinking about nothing.

**_One thing_**

_**I don't know why   
Doesn't even matter how hard you try   
Keep that in mind**_

_**I designed this rhyme   
To remind myself how   
I tried so hard **_

He had tried so hard to make him see, to make him understand.

_**   
In spite of the way you were mocking me   
Acting like I was part of your property   
Remembering all the times you fought with me**_

_**I'm surprised   
It got so (far)**_

It had gone so much further than the friendly banter, the rivalry, and the fights.

_**   
Things aren't the way they were before   
You wouldn't even recognize me anymore   
Not that you knew me back then   
But it all comes back to me   
In the end **_

He had changed since he had met Naruto. when they had been put in the same cell. Sasuke laughed bitterly. he wished it hadn't changed. or did he? he was becoming less and less sure of that as the moments ticked by.

_**   
You kept everything inside and even though I tried**_

_**It all fell apart   
What it meant to me**_

Naruto had kept all his feelings inside, his feelings for Sasuke, for the people, for any and everything. He never realized how much it meant to Sasuke.

_**Will eventually**_

_**Be a memory **_

_**Of a time when I **_

_**I tried so hard   
And got so far   
But in the end   
It doesn't even matter **_

Sasuke sighed. he wished it did matter. but Naruto couldn't see it that way. he only thought of them as friends.

_**   
I had to fall   
To lose it all   
But in the end   
It doesn't even matter**_

Sasuke had lost everything when Naruto rejected him. the tears threatened to fall, but he shut his eyes, willing them to go away, as he did when he was haunted by his past.

**_I put my trust in you   
Pushed as far as I can go   
And for all this   
There's only one thing you should know... _**

He only wished he had told Naruto sooner.... if only.... if only.... the tears fell down his cheeks softly, and he made no move to wipe them away.

_**I put my trust in you   
Pushed as far as I can go   
And for all this   
There's only one thing you should know...**_

It wouldn't have mattered. Naruto could never love him. he was a cold mean bastard, who never said even one nice thing to Naruto...

**_I tried so hard   
And got so far   
But in the end   
It doesn't even matter   
I had to fall   
To lose it all   
But in the end   
It doesn't even matter_**

He lay back, staring at the sky until a pair of cerulean eyes blocked his view.

"Na-Naruto?!" he asked, shocked. the blonde boy nodded, face serious. he straddled Sasuke, who began to blush profusely. "ah, Naruto..." Naruto silenced him.

"hush... I'm sorry..." he brought his face down to Sasuke's, and cut the taller boy off before he could say anything more with a kiss.


End file.
